Kismet
by Mandolin Reign
Summary: How do you know when it’s meant to be? Nick recalls the events that led to him falling in love with his wife. NickSara? NickMandy? NickWendy? Or NickOFC.
1. Chapter 1

**Kismet**

_Summary: How do you know when it's meant to be? Nick recalls the events that led to him falling in love with his wife. Nick/Sara? Nick/Mandy? Nick/Wend? Or Nick/OFC._

_AN: This has been in my head for months, and I finally have it out, on paper! The good news is that it is practically finished, so updates will regular. Also, I understand that many people don't like to read __fics__ when they aren't sure of the pairing. I completely understand this, but I hope that you'll understand why in this case, giving away the pairing would mean giving away the ending. I hope you'll stick around just the same. There will only be four chapters, so you won't have to wait long. I had a lot of fun with this, and I hope you enjoy reading it as well._

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. Shocked I know._

Chapter One

"Honey, are you ready yet?" Nick Stokes ran his hand over the banister as he checked the watch on his other hand. "We're going to lose our reservation," he called up in a futile attempt to hurry things along. He was switching his cell phone to vibrate when he heard the creek on the second to the top stair signaling his wife's descent from the second floor.

Turing, his eyes immediately fell on her breath-taking smile. "You look gorgeous." He offered his hand as she reached the last steps.

"I look like Shamu." She stepped onto the landing.

"You look beautiful," He reaffirmed, pulling her in for a kiss before she could protest further. Their lips separated, but their faces remained close. "Happy anniversary," he whispered.

"Happy Anniversary," she purred back.

His hands slid up and down her arms, "We should go." He followed her through the front door, and locked it behind them. She walked in front of him, but when she reached for the door handle, he quickly leaped into action, "Let me get that, milady."

Biting back a smile, "Always the gentleman."

Gently closing the door once she was settled in her seat, he made his way to the driver's side. As they pulled out of their subdivision, Nick looked over to find his wife propping her head up with her hand. "Darlin' you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She quickly put her hand down, but he didn't look convinced, "Really I am." She forced a smile in a vain attempt to prove it.

He brushed a few fingers over her cheek, "You sure?"

"Uh-hum," she nodded. "I've been tired all day, and now I'm just a little…blah." She reached up to take his hand in hers.

"If you're not up to it, we don't have to go out to dinner." He would be somewhat disappointed, but he was more worried about her.

"No." She said a little louder than what was needed. To his questioning glance, she added, "Not only is it our anniversary, but it's also probably the last time in a long time that we'll be able to go out, just the two of us." She placed her other hand on her swollen belly. "We're going."

She was so insistent, he couldn't argue with her. "You'll tell me if it becomes too much?"

"No worries, I won't suffer in silence." After a wink, she brought his right hand to her lips and placed a soft kiss on his knuckles before releasing his hand.

_

* * *

_

_(Almost two years prior)_

_Nick sauntered into the locker room with an ear-to-ear grin lighting up his face. __"Hey man," he tapped Warrick's back as he made his way to his locker._

_"Someone's in a good mood," Warrick observed as he pulled his vest __up and __over his shoulders._

_"And why shouldn't I be? Grass is green, birds are singing…"_

_"Sounds like Nicky got lucky." Warrick shook his head as he holstered his service revolver._

_"Why do you always jump to that, just because I'm in a good mood?" He was only slightly offended._

_"Well, first you are always in a good mood, second this is Vegas in August. The grass is dead because of water restrictions and the birds, if there are any, are too hot to sing." _

_"Alright, alright." Warrick paused as he was headed out the door to turn and look at his friend__, waiting for the story time to begin__. "__Her name is __Cindy,__ and__ we've been seeing each other for a couple__ of__ weeks." He set his keys and wallet on the shelf in his locker before removing his jacket._

_Warrick was getting impatient, "And…"_

_"And, we're going to San Diego for the weekend." He fastened the vest over his chest._

_"Really? Have fun, think of those of us who have to work all weekend while you're off on a beach getting l__aid__."_

_Nick shook his head and followed his friend out the door. __Once in the hallway. __Wendy Sims nearly ran them over__"Hey guys, I was just looking for you."_

_"Our results from last night's double __homicide?__" Warrick held his hand out._

_"Yep," she handed the file over, "Three donors on the condom, your two DBs, and an unknown female."_

_"Did you-" _

_Before Nick could finish his question, "Nope, she's not in the system."_

_"You're good; what am I thinking now?" __Nick teased._

_Wendy playfully slapped his shoulder, "Get your mind out of the gutter, you're at work." She smiled and walked away, leaving Nick watching until she turned to enter the DNA lab._

_Warrick kept his eyes on the file in his hands, "What about Cindy?"_

_"Hey, Wendy's no Cindy, but I can still look, man." Nick continued his walk down the hall._

_Without missing a beat, "Yeah, until one of them finds out." _

_Their conversation went back to the case at hand until Nick's cell phone alerted him to a __new __text message__. He removed it from his belt, and read aloud. __"Mandy got a hit off one of the prints from the scene." _

_Two minutes later, they entered the print lab, "Hey Mands, you got something for us?"_

_Mandy hit a few keys on her computer, "Yep, check it out." She tilted the screen for them to see. "This should keep you busy tonight."_

_Nick leaned over, "Tricia Spaulding,__" He__ looked to Warrick, but asked Mandy, "As in Tony Spaulding's wife?" _

_"The one and only Councilman Spaulding. Mrs. Spaulding's __prints were__ in the system from when she worked in the counting room at the Luxor." _

_"It__'__s going to be a long night," Nick sounded defeated._

_"Take heart, at least you have the next two nights off." Now Warrick was the one sounding hopeless._

_"You're off for the weekend?" Mandy was already scanning prints for another case._

_"Yes, Nicky boy here is taking his latest love to San Diego for the weekend." Warrick put the file he'd been holding on the table __made notes detailing __Mandy's findings._

_A though__t__ occurred to Nick, "Hey Mandy, you're from San Diego, right?"_

_"Yep, born and raised." Her eyes never left the screen._

_"If I want to…"_

_"Impress?" Warrick offered, still writing in the file._

_Mandy's attention was p__erked, "So this uh, serious Nicky__?"_

_Nick blushed a little, and ran his fingers through his hair, "Never mind." He turned to go to the door, "Warrick, ready__"_

_"Oh, we're done now__" Warrick's__ frustration was more about his own failed marriage than about his __friend's__ excitement._

_Just as they were about to pass through the door, Mandy called out, "Nick." As he turned, she removed her glasses, "The beach in La Jolla is best for a quiet time, Pacific Beach if you want to go surfing or body boarding. Moonlight dinner cruise of the Bay is very romantic, and if she's anything like me, she'll love the shops in La Jolla or Seaport Village.__ Then of course there's always the Zoo, Wild Animal Park, or Sea World.__"_

_"Thank you." Nick __made a mental note so as to remember everything for the trip._

_

* * *

_

_TBC…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Kismet**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. Since it was asked, __**Peggy 47**__ is right: __**Kismet: fate, or meant to be.** Still no comment about the pairing._

Chapter Two

Nick watched as the mother of his unborn child leaned back into her seat. She remained resting until they pulled up to the restaurant. Nick was out of the car in a flash, still worried about the reservation. Tossing the keys to a valet, he made his way to the passenger side and opened the door. His wife gratefully taking his hand. "I'm not sure which is more of a pain in the ass: Climbing up into your truck, or hoisting myself out of my car."

Chuckling, "I thought you'd be more comfortable in your car tonight."

"I probably am, but not by much." She patted his shoulder as a thank you for his help.

The hostess opened the door for the couple, and once inside, Nicks arm was protectively wrapped around his wife's waist. "Reservation for Stokes."

The blonde dressed entirely in black scanned the book in front of her before finding what she was looking for. "Yes, Mr. Stokes, right this way." She pulled a couple menus from the side table before leading the couple to their table. Setting the menus in front of the diners, she spoke. "The chef's specials tonight are the grilled salmon with asparagus and herb roasted potatoes, the filet mignon with mushrooms and your choice of vegetable, and the chicken cordon bleu with a creamy risotto." She clasped her hands in front of her, "Thalia, your server for tonight, will be with you shortly." With that she was gone.

As if on cue, a brunette dressed in black slacks and vest with a white dress shirt and a deep emerald tie appeared. "Can I get you started with some drinks?" Politely the waitress's eyes went to the woman in the couple first.

"Club soda, please." As an afterthought, she added, "With lime." To which Thalia nodded once, and then turned her attention to Nick.

"I'll have the same, and could we also get an order of the crab stuffed mushrooms?" He raised his eyebrows as if to ask his date if she agreed with his appetizer choice. She nodded the affirmative.

"I will get that right in for you." Thalia turned and left the two alone.

Mr. and Mrs. Stokes went on perusing their menus. Nick quickly decided on his dinner choice, folded up his menu, and watched as his wife twirled a strand of hair between her fingers as she read through the menu. He got a kick out of watching her. Whereas he would know what he wanted almost immediately, she would always read through every item on the menu before coming to a decision, even if she had been at the restaurant a hundred times before. It was just one of the many quirks that made him fall in love with her.

* * *

"_Hey Nick, you're back?" Sara went directly to the coffee pot. "Have fun?"_

"_Yes, I did, but now it's back to reality." He held out the assignment slip Grissom had given him earlier, "We have a jewelry store robbery, one vic in critical care. You ready?"_

_Sara quickly gulped down about a third of her coffee, "Yeah." She followed him out the door before turning to go back to the locker room to retrieve her kit, but paused to call over her shoulder, "Uh, Nick?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I'm driving." She smiled, resuming her path to the locker room._

"_Only if you get there first." Nick made his way to the parking lot and had just hit the mild air when Mandy came running up. "Webster, you're late." He spoke sternly._

"_Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Stokes, It'll never happen again." She played along briefly. "So, how was your trip?"_

"_Great, thanks for your suggestions. Cindy loved the dinner cruise." _

"_Good, I've always liked it." She paused, "Well, I've gotta clock in before Ecklie realizes how late I am."_

_Nick noticed something about her tone. "Mandy you okay?"_

"_Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Nick wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself of that._

"_Mandy?" He chanced reaching out and placing a supportive hand on her upper arm._

"_No, I'm fine, just got into it a little with my parents." She shook her head, "We never seem to see eye to eye, and of course it's right when I'm supposed to be at work. So, yeah, I'll be fine." Mandy was rambling, but Nick just let her go, knowing she needed to get it out._

_When she stopped, he offered, "I'm here if you need anything."_

"_Thanks Nick," she knew he meant it, but at the same time, she didn't want to burden him with her problems._

"_Ah-ha!" Sara called out as she passed by the two. "Guess I'm driving Nick!"_

"_Well I should go, but I'll see you later." He gave her arm a final squeeze before joining Sara in the car._

_Mandy nodded and walked through the doors to the lab._

"_So, when do we get to meet this Cindy?" Sara popped the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking space._

"_Oh, I'm not ready for that." He put his hands up in defense._

"_But it is serious?" She questioned._

"_Yeah, it's serious." He admitted._

"_Marriage serious?" She wasn't giving up._

_Nick thought for a second, "Maybe." There it was; he had opened himself up._

"_Oh, Nick, I'm happy for you!" Nick couldn't remember ever hearing Sara squeal like that._

_Thankfully for Nick, the subject was dropped, and they went on to process their scene. Once returning to the lab they divvied up their findings. Nick entered the DNA lab with more than a few swabs. "Hey Wendy."_

"_You got something for me cowboy?" _

_Nick smiled at the term of endearment, "Yes, eight samples, probably all our victim, but do what you can with it." _

"_Of course," she smiled, "So how was the weekend?" _

"_Does everybody know what I do on my time off?"_

"_Uh-huh." She deadpanned._

"_It was good." He conceded._

"_That's it, just good?" She feigned disappointment, but continued, "Hey some of us were going to grab breakfast after shift, wanna join in?"_

"_Sure, I'll catch you after shift." Nick was back in the hallway when his cell phone began to vibrate on his hip. When he saw the name on the Caller ID, he quickly glanced around him to be sure no one was in ear shot, "Morning Sunshine." His Texan drawl was on fire._

_A sleepy, yet sweet voice on the other end responded, "Morning. I thought I'd call and see if you were interested in meeting for breakfast before I have to be at work?"_

"_Funny you should ask…" Nick continued down the hall while explaining to Cindy that he wanted to see her, but had just made plans with some coworkers. After thinking about it for a few seconds, he figured that now would be as good of a time as any and asked. "Why don't you join us?"_

"_Are you sure they wouldn't mind?" Cindy didn't want to intrude._

"_Actually some are eager to meet you, so they'll be thrilled." Suddenly the enormity of what he was about to do hit Nick, and the nerves began to attack, but it was too late, he's already asked, and she'd already accepted._

"_I'll be there." _

_An hour later he walked into the diner to find almost every member of the night shift gathered around a group of tables shoved together to create one large surface. "Boy, I don't think this many people have ever shown up for breakfast after shift before." Nick said as he took a seat between an empty seat and Greg._

"_Well, some people were curious to meet the allusive Cindy," Greg poured a packet of sugar into his coffee and began o stir. "Once word spread that she would be here, well the RSVPs came pouring in."_

"_What do you mean word spread? I only told Warrick." Nick looked to his friend for an explanation, but was only greeted with an apologetic shrug._

"_You can't blame Warrick," Catherine wrapped her arm around the tall dark man, "Some of us know the combination to that lock."_

"_Catherine you're not helping," Warrick wished the subject would drop before it went too far._

"_Ooh, poor baby," Catherine mocked, but started a conversation with Mandy before Warrick could reply._

_Wendy rushed through the door, "Am I too late? Is she here?" _

"_No, not yet," Sara scooted over making more room at the table. _

"_Why is everyone so anxious to meet Cindy?" Nick was starting to worry that this might have been a bad idea._

"_Simple," Catherine started, "You've never talked about another girl the way to talk about her."_

"_You've never asked for advice on where to take another girl," Mandy added._

_Sara chimed I with, "You've never been nervous about introducing a girl to any of us before," _

"_Yeah Nick, apparently this is serious." Wendy summed it all up, "Now we want to make sure she's good enough._

_Touched at the responses, Nick relaxed just as an elegant hand draped over his shoulder, "Nicky."_

"_Cindy," he nearly beamed, as he stood and made a quick round of introductions around the table. The group fell into casual conversation as orders were placed, meals were served, and eventually __good-byes__ and __see you liters __were said._

_After a private moment with a slightly overwhelmed Cindy in the parking lot, Nick went home feeling pretty good about how the morning went._

* * *

The sound of her breath catching brought him out of his thoughts. "Honey?" He reached over the table out of concern.

She waved off his concern. "Kick," her head bobbed a couple of times. "A good one." Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, she looked up to see him watching with worry. "Really, I'm fine." This time she was rewarded with a dimpled smile.

A few minutes later the appetizer was placed between them and their dinner orders were placed. "So how did you manage to get tonight off? I figured with the week you're taking when the baby's born, I wouldn't be able to spend the night with you again until my water breaks." She was only half joking.

"Catherine was nice enough to volunteer when I told her I didn't want to miss our last chance for a quiet night out." He was about to take a sip of his club soda when he saw her raise her eyebrows in question. "Well that and the fact that I covered for her last week when Lindsey had a ballet recital."

"Uh-huh," she knew there was more to it than Catherine volunteering out of the blue.

"Hey, we parents have to stick together," he raised a glass, which she gladly clanged with her own.

_

* * *

_

_The night after the breakfast meeting everything changed for Nick. The phone rang as he was getting dressed. Hoping to share a meal with his girlfriend, he impatiently opened the phone when he saw it was her calling. "Hi."_

_The voice that greeted him was not anywhere near as excited, "Nick, we need to talk."_

"_What's wrong?" Concern etched in his voice._

_The pause told him this wouldn't be good, "I don't think this is going to work out."_

"_What?" How had everything changed while he'd been asleep. "What's changed?"_

"_It's not you…It's your friends…well that's not true, it's your job."_

"_I never hid what I do for a living."_

"_I know, but today I heard story after story filled with gory details, and not only did it not bother you, but you told some yourself." She took a breath, and he could hear the tears starting. "I…I can't live the rest of my life hearing those stories…I mean we were at breakfast…It made me wonder what stories you would tell if there was no food around."_

"_I see." They were the only words he could muster._

"_It's too bad, I really could have fallen in love with you." She spoke from her heart._

"_Me too." He wasn't angry, just hurt, "I have to go to work now."_

"_Of course. Goodbye Nick."_

"_Goodbye Cindy." The line went silent until a click indicated she had hung up._

_That night, Nick went to work a little numb inside, and as a result, had a hard time focusing. Sara called his name twice before he finally responded. "What?"_

"_I said it was fun meeting Cindy." Sara said as she began laying the crime scene photos on the table. It never got easy seeing pictures of children with bruises. _

"_I'm glad you thought so." Nick was focusing on the circular bruise on the six-year-old's body._

"_Didn't you have fun? You sure looked like you were." She thought twice before adding, "Especially in the parking lot."_

_A frown flashed across Nick's face, "Well, I did, but apparently we are too gory for Cindy. She didn't appreciate the breakfast conversation, and called to break it off a few hours ago."_

_Sara stopped what she was doing, "Nick, I'm so sorry. I think sometimes we forget that what we do doesn't always make for appropriate conversation."_

"_I know. I guess I'm the same way, because she was just as offended that I joined in the conversation."_

_Sara offered a half smile and gently tapped his shoulder before walking away. Nick spent much of the shift in a funk that no one enjoyed being around. They were all so used to Nick being the upbeat and positive guy, that none of them really knew how to deal with depressed Nick._

_He was counting the minutes until he could go home and have some peace. He knew his friends were only trying to help, but he wasn't ready to be cheered up yet. Deciding that a good day's sleep would be the best medicine, he hoped that nothing new would come up on any of his open cases and that he might actually leave on time. When only a half hour was left on the shift, his pager went off, summoning him to the DNA lab. _

_In a huff, he stomped off to DNA and pushed the door open harder than he should have, causing Wendy to jump slightly. "Steady Cowboy," she teased, her smile dropping when she saw he was not amused. "I was running DNA from the Stevens case. McIntire from days is the lead CSI, but anyway a match came up to your unknown sample from the Stephanopolis case."_

"_The Stephanopolis case ran cold three months ago." He shook his head, thinking about the odds that a case that had run out of leads so long ago would turn hot on the one day he needed to get out of here. "Are you sure? I don't want to waste time today if it's nothing."_

"_I wouldn't have paged you if I weren't sure." Her tone slightly annoyed at the underlying accusation._

"_Right. I'm sorry," but his voice didn't sound too sorry._

"_Nick, don't get pissy with me because I did my job and you don't want to do yours." She was on the defense._

"_Wendy, it's not you. Yes, I'm thrilled we finally have a lead, the family needs to know what happened to their daughter…" He took a deep breath, treading lightly. "I just really need some down time, and if this proves to run hot…well you know what that means."_

_Wendy nodded her understanding, "It will get better, you know?"_

"_What?" _

_Wendy shrugged, "Greg was in here earlier, he mentioned something about you and Cindy." _

"_Great, I've been reduced to office gossip." _

"_Nick, it's nothing like that. Look you're the guy around here that everyone likes, everyone looks forward to working with, and when you have an off day…well it throws the people around you off a little too."_

"_Great," he repeated before walking off._

"_Nick," Wendy called after him, but he was already halfway down the hall._

_

* * *

TBC…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Kismet**

Chapter Three

Nick watched as his wife scooped a mushroom cap off the hot dish and set it on her appetizer plate. Once cutting a small section off and piercing it with her fork, she put the piece in her mouth.

"How is it?" Nick selected his mushroom while waiting for an answer. He was so hungry that he nearly didn't realize that she hadn't answered. His first bite was on its way to his mouth when he glanced across the table to see his wife gripping the edge of her chair, her face in deep concentration. In a flash, Nick was at her side, "Sweetie, what is it?"

The only thing she could do at that moment was to take his hand in hers for the support she needed.

Nick let her squeeze his hand, as he gently traced circles on her back. Almost immediately her body began relaxing, and the breath he didn't realize he was holding was released. "I'm fine." She avoided his eyes.

"You're fine? Like hell, unless I misread the fifteen books you made me read, that was a contraction." He was nearly yelling, but in a hushed tone. It wasn't out of anger, but rather fear, of the unknown to come.

"It wasn't fifteen, more like four, and of those you only read one." She shot right back with the same tone.

"That's the part you're focusing on?" She could be infuriating sometimes. "Babe, we have to get you out of here."

"No, we don't." She picked up her knife and fork to cut another piece of mushroom. "That was one contraction, and even if it is the start of labor, I'm hours away if not days."

Nick went back to his seat, and began digging through his wallet. "We are not staying here." His frustration was building. "I know you like to be in control, but just this once, please let's do it my way."

"I am going to finish my dinner, and then we can do it your-" Nick was mid eye roll when he realized why she had suddenly stopped speaking. Once again he was at her side, and before he had even offered it, she grabbed his hand.

"It's alright," he spoke softly while rubbing her back. When the pain subsided, he chanced it, "Can we please go now? That's twice in nearly five minutes."

When she heard the concern in her husband's voice, she agreed. "Yeah, we can go." She let him help her to a standing position, "So much for our last night out." As eager as she was to have the baby, she was disappointed. They had only dated six months before getting married, and three months later a faint second line appeared on the test she had _borrowed_ from Doc Robbins.

* * *

_A few days later, Nick was getting back to normal. The new DNA match had given him a suspect and charges were filed. The family was finally going to get some of the answers they were starved for._

_"Well you're looking better." _

_The soft voice caused him to look up from his seat on the bench, __mid shoe tie.__ The locker room was empty with the exception of __himself__ and the slender DNA tech. "Well, a good bust and sleep work wonders on improving your mood."_

_"I can see that." She closed her locker and made her way to the door, stopping when he called her name._

_"You have plans?" He hesitantly asked._

_She turned away from the door, her foot keeping it from closing completely. __"No, just home, breakfast, and bed."_

_Feeling a sudden wave of nerves, he retreated slightly, "Oh."_

_She paused waiting for him to continue, when he didn't she felt the need for a quick escape, "Yeah, well…I'll see you tonight." _

_"You __wanna__ get some breakfast?" He forced the words out so fast, that he wasn't sure she'd understand him._

_Again, she stopped, blocking the door, "__U__h, sure." She shrugged. _

_Fifteen minutes later they were walking into the same diner they both frequented. __Neither sure why suddenly it felt different.__ They'd shared more than a couple meals together over the last two years, but this time it was just the two of them, not a loud boisterous group that led to feelings of comfort and familiarity. _

_Eventually they fell into the casual conversation that they had enjoyed on many previous occasions, but it felt somewhat different this time._

_After their dishes had been cleare__d away and the check dropped off, __Nick leaned to the side to pull his wallet out of the opposite back pocket. Wendy opened her purse and set a ten on the table. "I got it." Nick immediately picked up the check, and pulled a few bi__l__ls from his wallet._

_"That's alright, I can pay for mine." She blushed slightly, unsure how far to push it. _

_"No, I want to." He picked up her ten and handed it back to her. __"Really."_

_She took the money, and the gears in her mind began turning, "Well then I buy coffee before shift tonight." The offer was out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop it. She had enjoyed the time alone with Nick, and wanted to do it again, soon._

_His smile answered before his voice, "Deal. __How about the coffee house __across the street at ten tonight__?"_

_She nodded, both excited and relieved._

_Hours later, __Nick was awoken by a ringing phone hours before his alarm was set to go off. __"Stokes."__ The single word cracked into the receiver, but Nick didn't care, still half asleep. _

_"Nick, swing is short staffed, I need you to come in and __help __cover__"__ t__he voice nearly pleading._

_"Ecklie?"_

_"Yes, Nick we're swamped. Several scenes are waiting __to be __process__ed__; I need you ASAP. I've tried Brown, Sidle, and Willows, but no one seems to be answering their phone._

_"Why didn't I think of that?" Nick mumbled._

_"What?" The assistant Lab Director asked, unsure of what had been said._

_Nick immediately came to, "Nothing, I'll be there."_

_"Thanks Nick."_

_Well, at least he got a thank you this time. He quickly showered, dressed, and drove to work. Before heading out to his first scene, he stopped in the break room, needing a caffeine boost to keep him going. As the dark liquid filled his cup, he remembered his plans from that morning. He added the cream and sugar before pulling his cell phone out. After a few rings, the call went to voice mail. "Wendy, hey, I'm sorry. I was called into work early, but maybe we could do something another time?" _

_Nick spent the better part of the next five hours processing his scene before heading back to the lab to start sorting through the evidence. The night shift was in full swing, __as he made a bee__line for the DNA lab. "There you are. I waited two hours for you to show up!"_

_"Didn't you get my-__" Her__ smile cut him off, and he was immediately relieved. "Sorry I had to cancel, but I meant what I said about another time."_

_"No worries__. L__et me know when __your__ busy schedule subsides and we'll talk." She gave a __flirtatious wink, and then they dove into his most recent case._

_His next stop was the print lab. He wasn't carrying a stack or even an envelope, but rather a box. He had lifted hundreds of prints from the hotel room. __He was secure in the knowledge that t__he hotel was most definitely not the cleanest one in town. "Mandy, I'm sorry." He tried to less__e__n the blow as her eyes grew wide at the vast number of prints he was leaving her with. _

_"You can't be serious." She knew that the break she had been about to take was on hold indefinitely._

_"Sorry." He offered apologetically._

_"You__'d__ better be." She teased. "Alright, it'll be awhile, but I'll let you know when I find something."_

_"Don't you mean __if__?" _

_"With all of these prints, I'd better find something." She began sorting through the cards as she spoke, looking __to start with __the most complete prints._

* * *

Nick was rifling through his wallet, too preoccupied with his wife's condition to be able to calculate the tab in his head, when Thalia reappeared. "Is everything alright here?"

"Oh, yes…My wife's…in labor, so we are going…can I get the check?" He was flustered as the realization of what was about to happen begun to sink in."

"I'll be right back with it, and I'll have the valet bring your car around."

Nick only nodded, but his wife remained composed, "Thank you."

When Thalia returned a few minutes later with the check in hand, Nick just checked to be sure there was enough in the stack of bills he held, not wanting to wait for a credit card to be run. Relieved, he handed the pile over, and quickly escorted his wife to the door.

"Well, she'll never forget us." She laughed at her spouse.

"What?" He held the door open for her.

"Nick I saw the bill, you just tipped her over forty dollars for a plate of fungus and two club sodas."

"I did what?" The car was waiting out front for them. Opening the passenger door, he added, "Who cares, get in." Mrs. Stokes did what she was told, laughing the whole time.

* * *

_Nick was getting restless, and tired. He had hit a wall with the other evidence, and was hoping that Mandy could send him in the right direction. "How's it going?"_

_"Other than me going blind, eh."__ She shrugged, not taking her eyes off of the screen before her._

_"Any hits yet?"_

_"Seventeen, but I haven't gotten through the whole pile yet." She motioned to the remaining cards, still in the original box._

_"You're joking."_

_"Nope, but out of those one died two weeks ago." At his questioning glance, she continued, "Car accident. Three were spending the night in question, or longer__ in jail. So that leaves you with thirteen."_

_"Thirteen?" _

_"Well, that's better than seventeen." She offered._

_"Thanks."_

_"Hey we started with hundreds, and so far you're down to thirteen. You're welcome."_

_"Thanks."_

_Mandy was about to say something when her cell phone vibrated at her side, "Just a sec." She held up her index finger as she looked at the call ID display before opening the device. "Josh, can I call you back, I'm in the middle of something."_

_'__Hmm, Josh__'__ Nick thought. __'__Must be a new guy.__'__ He made a mental note of the name, but was taken from his thoughts when Mandy's voice went up._

_"What?" Fear overtook her face. __"When?"__ Nick didn't want to eavesdrop, but was suddenly concerned. __The woman who had been calm and collected, even playful a moment before was now battling tears and shaking slightly.__ "What did the doctor say?" Her head shook slightly from side to side, "Oh my God." She leaned against the table, unable to support her own weight. "Which hospital__?…__I'll be there in a few hours." She listened for a minute before hanging up._

_"Mandy?"_

_The strong woman before him choked back tears, "My dad's being taken in for emergency open heart surgery. They think it's an aortic dissection." Her body quivered as she spoke. Nick placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, unable to come up with any words. "The doctor said that if he didn't operate, he'd be dead in a few hours." The tears now flowed down her cheeks, and Nick instinctively took her into his __arms_

_After a minut__e, __he whispered, "Let's get you home."_

_She nodded, "I'll talk to Grissom about time off." She went for the door, and Nick felt the need to not have her explain __the situation __alone__ again__ an__d walked down the hall with her._

_Thank fully, Grissom was in his office. He wished Mandy luck, and told her to take the time she needs, just to keep him updated. She then made her way to the locker room, Nick still following closely behind. She pulled out her cell phone, but after several attempts, was unable to find a flight to San Diego. "This had to happen on Labor Day, I'm never going to get a flight." She wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, just giving voice to her frustration. "I guess I get to drive, instead of being there in an hour or two, it's going to take five." She was aggressively grabbing items from her locker, forcing them into her bag. _

_Nick couldn't help but notice that she was still shaking. "Mandy, you can't drive that far by yourself. You're too upset."_

_"I have to get there, and I don't have time to wait around the airport, hoping someone won't show__ for their flight__." Tears filled her eyes once more._

_"I know you do. I'll drive you. You can't drive that far alone in this state." His offer was sincere. He couldn't even imagine getting a phone call like the one she had received only minutes ago__, and h__is heart ached for her. I'll drive you__. G__ive me a minute to arrange the time off, I'll be right back." She was truly grateful for the offer, and really hoped he could arrange it._

_He had to brief Catherine on his ongoing, but__ luckily__ Grissom understood Nick's concern and agreed to a couple __of __days off__ to help a friend_

_They decided on taking Nick's truck, and made quick stops at both of their homes for a few necessities, but the Las Vegas lights were behind them less than an hour later._

_For the first part of the trip, Mandy stared blankly out the window, lost in her thoughts. Wishing that her cell reception was better, but not really sure she wanted to hear the news on her dad._

_A Las Vegas country station__ that had__ been __provid__ing the b__ackground__music, began to fade as they drove out of range. Nick hit the scan button and six-second samplings of random songs, commercials, and talk shows filled the quiet. When a brief clip of the Bee Gees' song __'__Stayin__' Alive__'__ played, Mandy perked up. She reached out and stopped the continued scanning so the song would continue. _

_"I never figured you for a disco fan." Nick commented._

_"I'm not, not really." A small smile briefly graced her lips as the memories played through her head. "Whenever I am with my dad, and this song plays, he always tells me about dancing to this song when I was a baby." A soft laugh escaped as she continued. "I had colic, and according to __him__, the only thing that would calm me was this song__, and back then, it was always on the radio__. He would hold me up to his shoulder, and move with the music__ it worked every single time." She subconsciou__sly wrapped her arms around her__self._

_"That's sweet, not a lot of guys have the patience to deal with a __colically__ child."_

_"Yeah, my dad had to do a lot of things that most guys wouldn't." _

_Nick couldn't help but hear the sorrow that filled her voice once again. "What do you mean?"_

_Mandy's eyes fell, forgetting that he didn't know. "My mom got sick when I was only a couple weeks old, Leukemia. It took all of her energy, and she fought for three years, but…" She couldn't finish the thought, not now._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't realize."_

_"No, it's fine. I'm sure you've heard me lump my step mom into the __parents__ category." She added, "Even though she hardly counts." Her voice dripped of bitterness, which Nick wrote off to the fear Mandy was feeling._

_"So, who's Josh?" He had pretty much figured out that he was not __the new guy__ in Mandy's life._

_"My brother.__ When I was ten, my dad married Diane. Josh is her oldest, and Michael was her youngest, until I came along. Josh and Mike are great, it's just Diane and I don't get along."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Diane wanted a__ '__little girl__'__. I wasn't into princesses and being a pageant queen. She couldn't understand why…I just didn't live up to the daughter she always dreamed of having. I was more of a tom boy." She ran her hands through her hair. "My dad spent most of my teenage years playing peacemaker, and once I graduated __from __college, it was my dad who would call and ask me to come home for holidays and special occasions. Once I was there, Diane would gush over my brothers, their girlfriends, and eventually their wives, but she pretty much ignored me. I mean today, did she call me? No, she waited for Josh to arrive at the hospital and had him call me. I could have been on my way earlier." Sobs escaped as Mandy held her head in her hand, as her elbow rested on the window. _

_Nick hurt for her. He reached over and placed his hand on her opposite shoulder, pulling her to him. She didn't resist. __Her head finding his shoulder, his hand making comforting strides up and down her arm.__ They remained like this for quite a few miles._

_The closer they got to the city, the more nervous Mandy became. She continuously tried calling __her brothers, but became increasingly frustrated when the rings went unanswered and slammed the phone closed. "Why won't they answer?" She didn't really want an answer to the question__ she just wanted someone to answer their phone. _

_"Maybe they are just in a part of the hospital that doesn't allow__ cell phones__." There was still about ten minutes before they would reach the hospital, and h__e wanted to give her some hope_

_She didn't even try to respond only redialed once again…and __again…and__ again._

_Once at the hospital, Mandy darted to the information desk, Nick had to break into a near sprint just to catch up. "My father, Patrick Webster, he's having surgery?" She blurted out._

_The volunteer behind the desk typed on the computer keyboard. "Your family is in the family waiting room of the cardiac unit. Fourth floor, take a right out of the elevator and follow the signs."_

_Inside the elevator, Mandy pushed the '4' button repeatedly. The only thing Nick could do was to place a hand on her shoulder and wait for the elevator to reach its destination._

_They easily found the waiting room. The moment the two walked through the door, an array of eyes looked up. Diane, Josh, his wife Elise, and Michael, they all had a lost look, and a few had red swollen eyes. Michael made his way to Mandy, but she read the news on his face before any words would come out. "No." She shook her head and continued to repeat, "No," over and over. Once in her brother's arms she completely broke down._

_

* * *

_

TBC… 


	4. Chapter 4

**Kismet**

Chapter Four

Once he was seated and belted next to her, his wife asked, "Are you okay to drive?"

"Yes." Why would she ask that?

"I mean you seem a little…flustered." She tapped his thigh.

"I am, but I can still drive." He quickly regained his composure, "How are you doing?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped short. Nick offered his hand once more, as she clamped down on it with her hand and wrapped her other arm protectively around herself.

After the contraction passed, she called her OBGYN, and wasn't surprised when she was told to go to the hospital. Three contractions later, they walked through the doors of Desert Palm. Two contractions after that she was dressed in a hospital gown and attached to a fetal monitor. Nick did what he could to help his wife through the contractions, but it was hard for him to see the woman he loved in so much pain that she couldn't even talk. So, when she pulled him close to her and begged for an epidural, he made sure that she got what she wanted.

He had heard the common stories about how women went crazy when in labor, about how they would curse their husbands and scream out in agony. His beautiful, brave wife sought his comfort when she needed it, but didn't curse him once. After the epidural, she calmed considerably. They even watched some TV and discussed names.

_

* * *

Nick and Mandy followed the others back to her parents' home. The group sat around sharing stories, tears, and a few drinks, but as night began to fall, the gathering brokeup, Nick was surprised to hear Diane ask, "So Mandy, where are you and Nick staying?"_

"_What?" The question caught Mandy off guard. "Here. I thought?" She looked from a curious Diane to her brothers who wore looks of surprise similar to her own. _

"_Well, sweetie. I only have two extra bedrooms, and your brothers were already here for the holiday weekend." _

"_Mom," Josh began, trying to defuse the situation. "We can-"_

"_No Josh," Diane held up a hand. "Mandy understands, besides her friend is going to need a bed as well."_

"_Diane!" Mandy began to argue, but then began to shake her head in disbelief. "FINE." She grabbed her purse, and stormed off. _

"_Mandy, wait!" Michael called. "There's plenty of room!" _

_Nick followed Mandy out, hearing the two men protest their mother's words behind him. Mandy was leaning against the passenger door of his truck, so he took out the remote, and clicked the unlock button. The sound echoed against the quiet neighborhood that surrounded them. _

_Once inside the vehicle, Nick was surprised to see Mandy reaching for her seat belt. A part of him thought that after a few moments, she would calm down and go back inside. He was relieved to see Michael coming towards them. "Wait." He called, rapping on the window. _

_Mandy sat stoically, so Nick used his controller to roll down the passenger window. _

"_Mandy, come inside. You know there's plenty of room." His eyes jumped to Nick momentarily, "For both of you." _

"_No she doesn't want me there, and I don't want to be there." She choked the words out. _

"_Mandy, you know she doesn't mean anything by it…She just lost her husband."_

"_Right. She NEVER means anything by what she says to me, and I just lost my FATHER." She turned to Nick, "Drive."_

_Nick looked to Michael, unsure of how to proceed, but the other man only shrugged and sorrowfully backed away from the car. Slowly Nick turned the key in the ignition and pulled away from the curb._

"_Where are we going?" Nick asked when his passenger hadn't said anything for ten minutes. _

"_What?" She looked over at him, and for the first time in the dark night he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks._

"_Oh, honey." He reached over and wiped at one of wet tracks down the side of her face._

"_I'm sorry. I never meant for you to be stuck in the middle of this." She sniffled._

"_No, no, don't worry about that." He found a parking space on the side of the road and pulled over. Once he shifted the truck into park, his attention was fully on Mandy. "Look, you have nothing to be sorry for; I'm sorry that you're going through this." He wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders. _

"_Thank you." She whispered._

"_For what?" _

"_For driving me, dealing with my crazy family, and watching me deal with my family." _

"_Why don't we find a hotel?" He was starting to enjoy the feel of Mandy in his embrace a little too much. _

_She sat up, bit her lip, and nodded. "There's a Holiday Inn just up the road a little."_

_They were able to get adjoining rooms in the hotel, the mass exodus of the holiday vacationers allowing them that fortune. Nick was getting situated when he heard a soft knock at the door that connected to Mandy's sleeping quarters. He opened the door to find her leaning against the door frame, nervously toying with the knob on her door. "Hey." _

"_Hi," he replied._

"_I was thinking about going to the lounge downstairs…"_

"_Hungry?"_

_She shook her head slowly from one side to another, never breaking eye contact with him. "Thirsty." _

"_I see." He cocked an eyebrow._

"_Come on, I'm buying." She swung her small purse over her shoulder and walked through his room to the door leading to the hall._

_The elevator ride was quiet, but walking through the lobby Mandy commented, "Too bad I didn't know Diane was going kick me out of my father's house." Nick swallowed uncomfortably. "We could have brought out bathing suits and checked out the Jacuzzi." He just nodded._

_They made their way to a small table in the back of the lounge. Mandy started out with a Long Island Iced Tea, while Nick ordered a beer. They made small talk as they drank. Nick asked her about growing up in San Diego, and Mandy intern got the scoop on Texas. Mandy then ordered a 7 & 7, but Nick being only halfway through his beer, declined the offer for a second. _

_He noticed Mandy relaxing slightly as the alcohol took effect. He didn't stop her when she ordered an Amaretto Sour and he was still nursing his first beer. He could only imagine how much he would be drinking if his father suddenly died, and he hadn't made it home in time to say 'Goodbye' and then was asked to leave his childhood home for a reason he still didn't understand. As far as he was concerned there probably wasn't enough alcohol behind the bar to make Mandy feel better, but he couldn't, in good conscious, let her make herself sick. "You wanna go for a walk?" _

"_Sure," she downed the last of her drink, and went to pull her credit card out of her wallet, when Nick stopped her._

"_I got it." He pulled his own out._

"_No, Nick. I said my treat and I meant it." She was louder than she had intended, but by God, she was going to win at least one argument today._

_Nick held his hands up in defeat, she paid, and they walked out the door to the cool summer night. They walked for a little while, Mandy pointing out old hangouts, memories, and famous places along the way. Nick listening intently. While she wasn't falling down drunk, the effects of downing three drinks in a short period of time, on top of the couple she had shared with her family, did give her a bit of a buzz, but he found it cute when she would get confused mid-story or was too busy concentrating on her story that she would nearly bump into the occasional fire hydrant or lamp post. _

_Eventually they were down by the water. They stood there, leaning on the guardrail, looking out over the bay. The noises of the city behind them faded under the constant whoosh of the waves crashing just feet below where they stood._

"_There's the Dinner cruise returning." Many pointed to a large white and blue boat not that far away. _

_Nick looked, "You were right about that you know? It was romantic." The memory saddened him. _

"_I'm glad I could help." She wasn't sure how to continue, but figured it the wrong words came out she could just blame it on the booze. "I'm sorry about you and Cindy."_

_She wasn't looking for a response, and Nick didn't give her one, they just stood there watching all of the happy couples prepare to disembark. _

_The breeze off the water picked up slightly, causing Mandy to shiver slightly. The movement did not go unnoticed by Nick, who instinctively wrapped his arm around her, pulling her slightly in front of him. Her body leaned into his chest trying to absorb as much heat as possible. Nick's arms held her body close, and they stood frozen like this for some time. _

_Nick was the first to speak, but his words mumbled together, lost in the little space between them. "Hmm?" Mandy asked, turning her head slightly to hear him better, but the movement put their lips mere centimeters apart, and after a brief pause, she reached slightly for his mouth, as he turned her body so as to have better access to her mouth. The kiss was soft and sweet, and slowly grew more intense. When the contact was released, neither moved. They just stood there lost in each others' eyes, worrying that the other felt regret, but when none was voiced, their lips rejoined in a passionate union, neither could believe, or wanted to end. _

* * *

At 3:42 the next morning, Mandy gave birth to an eight pond, three ounce baby boy. Once the hubbub calmed, Nick stood next to his wife who cradled their newborn son in her arms. The world was momentarily perfect.

"Uh-oh, we've lost Daddy." Mandy teased, her eyes never left the newest love of her life.

"Wha-," He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek, "You are amazing." He was in awe, after the last few hours, he couldn't believe that she was even still awake, let alone lucid and taunting him.

"Couldn't have done it without you, Cowboy." She leaned into his shoulder, "This little guy still needs a name."

There's only one I can think of, "Patrick."

Tears began to form in Mandy's eyes, "Oh Nick," she kissed him, "Thank you."

_

* * *

The End_

_Thanks for coming along for the ride, and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!_


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